Stanley Cup Finals, Game 1

Philly 5, Hawks 6

This was one of the most fun games I've seen for a while. I finally got to watch a game live instead of having to DVR it, which was pretty awesome. Anyway, key points of the game...Go Hawks!

1. How entertaining was this game? Physical play, neither team with more than a one goal lead, and both teams being very offensive-minded. Both teams came out strong, and I must admit that Philly played a lot better than I thought they would.

2. Chicago needs some discipline. You know it's bad when Philly was the more disciplined team. There were, however, some calls that were missed (the high stick on Seabrook) or just generally fucked up (sending Campbell to the box instead of Hjalmarsson) by the officials.

3. Was NBC glitchy for the first period for anyone else, or was it just my shitty Time Warner cable acting up again?

4. I think that both teams were a little sloppy defensively, which is part of the reason why this was such a high-scoring game.

5. I liked Chicago's penalty killing unit in this game. They weren't afraid to get aggressive.

6. How great was Brouwer in this game? He just always seemed to be in the right spot at the right time, and it really paid off.

7. I was a little surprised that Leighton wasn't pulled after the 4th Chicago goal. I think Philly could have used a little more motivation at that moment in the game.

8. Mike Milbury doesn't like "touchy-feely" stuff, but Pierre McGuire does...there's a huge shock. Beat Pierre with his own shoe, Mike.



9. Both teams showed the type of scoring depth that gets teams to the finals. Philly had 5 different goal scorers, while Chicago had 5 as well.

10. Even though Byfuglien didn't record a point in this game, he made his presence known with his physicality. He was, however, a minus 3 for the night.

So there ya have it. Have a nice Memorial Day weekend kids, and I'll be seeing you for Game 2. Have a burger or hot dog for me, I have to work.

Late with the post again...

Sorry for being so late with this post. Because of my work schedule, I've had to DVR the last few games, and I got behind on watching them. I'm not going to recap the games, since it's old news already. So the Flyers are in the Finals, and I almost drank this:




Then this dude stopped me:



It was almost as if the Habs finally ran out of steam. Philly was able to do something that the Caps and the Pens couldn't do: stop the seemingly unstoppable Mike Cammalleri. My prediction for this series: Chicago will take it in 5. Let's go Hawks!

Now I want a PS3 more than ever...

This just deserved its own post. From Puck Daddy comes this awesome news. This just sounds like the most awesome version of the NHL games. I wish I knew more about the junior leagues, but it's difficult when you can't really see many of the games and get much exposure to the teams and their players. The only time I got to see any of the junior league players this year was when I was watching the World Junior Championship and the small amount of the Memorial Cup I saw. All I can tell you is that Gabriel Bourque is one of the fastest skaters I've seen since Pavel Bure. The Pens need to steal him from Nashville, then we would have the winger that we need so badly for the first line. I was also very impressed with the play of David Savard. He'll be a fantastic addition for the Blue Jackets sometime in the future. I just wish Moncton wouldn't have gotten destroyed in the Memorial Cup, I really enjoyed watching them play.

Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4

Philly 3, Habs 0

This was just ugly to watch. Key points of the game...

1. Ok, so did the intro to this game with the flame remind anyone else of this? (skip to 2:10 in the video...it was the only one I could find.)



I am the biggest geek ever. And kudos to NBC(!?) for showing the intro and the anthems.

2. Both teams played a pretty solid game for the first period. Leino has been playing very well in this series, as has Gagne. Pronger bounced back from his awful performance last game.

3. After the first period, puck possession was the name of the game. Needless to say, the Habs couldn't seem to keep the puck for more than two seconds. Philly's defense was very aggressive, and did a good job of blocking shots. Unbelievable that the Habs were held to only one shot on goal in the second period.

4. The Habs need to find a way to get around Philly's defense. They stepped it up in this game, and it really showed. Keep it simple guys. Don't try to get fancy with the puck...just get in and crash the crease.

If Philly makes it to the finals on Monday, I'll drink bleach.

Conference Finals, Game(s) 3

Philly 1, Habs 5

About frickin time! The Habs had the crowd behind them, and finally woke up to play some hockey. They did everything right and had a strong performance by Halak. Key points of the game:

1. Nice first goal of the game by Cammallari. Give an assist to the ghosts of the Forum for the strange bounce off of the boards.

2. The Habs finally decided to get physical with Philly. They need to keep it up.

3. Chris Pronger totally sucked.

4. This game had some really bad quotes from the commentators. My personal fave was "The constipated Montreal offense got flowing a little", or something to that effect. What would possess someone to say that? Another good one was, "You know you're trailing in a game when your goalie is in the middle of the bench like a grocery stick." The only thing I can even guess a grocery stick is is the divider that you put on the belt to separate your purchases from someone else's.

5. How amazing was the crowd? At the end of the game, you would have thought the Habs just won the cup.


Sharks 2, Hawks 3
The only thing I really have to comment on in this game is the fact that Versus didn't show the Chicago anthem. They have amazing anthems, and it just pissed me off not being able to see it. Auntie N is still a beast.


On another note, the only Philly player I like (I know, I know), may be back in action tomorrow. Ian Laperriere has some balls. How are you going to block a shot with your face...twice in one season? One of my favorite videos of all time:



You can't help but like Lappy (or as his teammates called him after he lost his teeth, "Mumbles"). The man has guts.

Conference Finals, Game(s) 2

Habs 0, Philly 3

Yet another ugly game. The "unstoppable" Halak had another horrible game, as did the rest of the team. I wouldn't be surprised to see Carey Price in net for game 3. Montreal needs to play a more disciplined game. Philly has been capitalizing on the power play, and pointless penalties are just making things worse. Cammalleri had more shots on goal than he did in the first game, yet still hasn't scored a goal in this series. The Habs need more production from him as well as Gomez and Gionta. Philly lucked out that Leighton was cleared to play just a week before Boucher was injured during the last series. He has been playing wonderfully, and doesn't look rusty at all. As for game 3, the Habs need to get the crowd into the game and keep them there. If they give a goal up early, the crowd element will be null and void, and the Habs really don't need that. That's one thing that I've always loved about hockey; the fact that the crowd can have a huge impact on the players. Go Habs!

Hawks 4, Sharks 2

I'm pretty much giving up on analyzing this series. It's just too much fun to watch, and I don't want to have to wreck it by picking it apart. I will say this though: Niemi (or Auntie N, as I've started calling him) is a fuckin beast.

Sorry for the extremely late post. I'll try a little harder next time. Thanks for reading!

Conference Finals, Game(s) 1

So the Sharks-Hawks game was very entertaining and fast-paced. Niemi continues to impress me with his play, and after the first period I thought the Sharks were going to dominate this game. Thankfully I was wrong. As for the Habs-Philly game...well, we all know what happened there. They looked a lot like the Pens did in game 7. They couldn't make good plays for shit, and the unstoppable Halak wasn't quite so unstoppable after all. Watching the Habs in that game makes you think, "Man, THAT is the team that knocked us out of the playoffs?". I think they need to step up the physicality of their game if they expect to come out of this series alive. Their small size isn't helping...they look like a bunch of midgets compared to Philly. I'm still sticking with my predictions...we'll see if I'm right.

On another note, I've been having problems posting comments on people's blogs. I can post on my own, just not anyone else's, so if anyone out there has any suggestions, please let me know. Also, can anyone tell me what the roman numerals mean in UFA IV? I can't find any info on this anywhere. Thanks!

Why did it have to be Philly?

Honestly, WHY!? I guess now all of us Pens fans are now stuck rooting for the Habs. Honestly, as horrible as this sounds, the only team in the running now that I wouldn't mind seeing win the Cup is Chicago, and I don't really want to see them win either because of Hossa. Anyway, here are your predictions for round 3.

Chicago over San Jose in 6 games. I think I might be using my heart a little more than my head in this one.

Habs over Philly in 6. Ditto.

We'll see how this plays out, and if Philly makes it to the finals, I'll probably puke.

Defense

So I was thinking about the Pens' shitty defense and what they can do about it. I have a prediction...Gonchar won't be resigned for next year, and Ben Lovejoy will be called up and finally play an entire season for the Pens. I was singing the praises about Lovejoy earlier this year, the first time he was called up. I liked what I saw, and want to see more of what he is capable of doing in the NHL. He led the AHL in plus/minus this year with a 42. 40 freakin 2! A lot of people think that the plus/minus stat is a worthless piece of shit, but for a defenseman, it's pretty damn important. He could also be important offensively, having 31 points in 76 games with the Baby Pens this year. Man do I hope next season will be his breakout year.

Goodbye old friend...

The last game at Civic/Mellon Arena...ever. I don't think it has completely sunk in yet. Before I start picking apart the game, I have to say thank you to the Pens for a great season. I will also say congrats to the Habs...I really underestimated you guys, and you deserve to advance. If you end up playing Philly, I'll be rooting for you the whole way. Here's some pics, and key points to the game:

The tickets:





The big screen outside of the arena:








In case you didn't know what game it was:




And one of the worst pics ever taken of me, after the game, after I've been crying:




Key points:

1. What was up with Sid taking that penalty so early in the game?

2. I'm usually one of the first people to defend Flower, but the 1st goal he let in was a softy. He didn't look really confident the whole game. The blame can't be completely on him though. Just like in game 6, the defense left him out to dry.

3. At first, I didn't really understand why Disco decided to sit Letestu for Poni, but then I realized that Poni is another big body in front of the net. And he did have an assist at least, so it wasn't all bad.

4. The giveaways were just fuckin ridiculous. 20!? They were passing the puck way too much, instead of just trying to skate with it up the ice. This is due, in part, to Montreal's defense, they've played very well.

5. Everyone just seemed either really tired or really indifferent. Understandable, considering all of the hockey these guys have played the last two years.

I won't keep going on about the amount of suck that I witnessed last night.

Leaving the arena was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. After the game, they had a nice tribute video on the Jumbotron. Everyone was crying, and they were having trouble getting fans to leave the building. I have so many fond memories of the Igloo. I paid a little extra for it, but I was able to get seats right near where my dad and I used to sit when I was younger (we had partial season tickets). He just passed away last summer, and being able to sit in the same section for this game meant a lot to me.

After the game, we watched the players leaving, and a lot of them stopped to sign autographs before they left, including Flower, which speaks volumes about those guys.

On a lighter note, when I went outside to smoke during the first intermission, I saw someone who looked really familiar. I had to ask, but it looked like John from Hockeytshirt.net. Turned out it was, and he was there with Tommy. They were both impressed, since no one has recognized them at games before. I bitched since they haven't posted any new videos since January, and they told me they would try to post more. Here's hoping, those guys are great! If you have the time, do yourself a favor and watch their videos.

R.I.P. Civic/Mellon Arena 1961-2010

Pregame stuff

I just got my tickets from express mail, which has made the fact that I will actually be going to the game tonight really sink in. (I got the tickets on ebay from a season ticket holder. Aubrey, you'll be pleased to know that the ticket has a picture of Kris Letang on it :-)) <---my smiley has a double chin...hehe. I'll take a picture of it and post it on here later. This is it...this is the night. It's sobering to think that this might be the last game at the Igloo. I have so many fond memories of the old barn. But let's not think like that. Let's have the last game at the Igloo be a win. If any of you will be at the game tonight, or even if you're just at home sitting in front of the T.V., cheer loud and proud. We don't need no stinkin' "Ole" chant, all we need is pure heart and soul. Scream your lungs out. Do it for your team...do it for the Igloo. Let's go Pens!!!!!

Pens 3, Habs 4

What an awful night! A Pens loss and a Flyers win...ugh. Anyway, time for the key points of the game:

1. The Habs played very well. They were a desperate team, facing elimination on home ice. They had a lot more on the line than the Pens did, and it really showed.

2. The #1 star for the night should have been the goal posts. I don't know what I was sick of hearing more, the "clang" of the puck going off the pipes or that "Ole" chant.

3. I know that I didn't hear the Versus announcer compare Max Lapierre to the great Rocket Richard...

4. The Habs defense looked a little disorganized at first with the absence of Hal Gill, but they seemed to kick it back into gear.

5. Speak of defense, the Pens' defense looked absolutely awful tonight.

6. How big of a force is Hal Gill? No surprise that Sid scores his first goal of the series with Gill scratched. Not taking anything away from Josh Gorges, but he looked a little lost without Gill.

7. Someone please tell Brian Engblom to get a fuckin haircut.

Game 7 Wednesday...it's do or die time. I'll be cheering the Pens on from Section F15...now I just need to switch shifts with someone at work...or call off...

Habs 1, Pens 2

The Pens looked much better this game. Flower was nothing short of amazing, and it was a strong effort by everyone on the team. Here are your key points to the game:

1. Great move by Disco for scratching Fedotenko and Poni, since they have both been pretty worthless. Having Rupp back in the lineup will provide a big body in front of the net to screen Halak. Welcome back Billy G!

2. Letang's accuracy has gotten a million times better, and he couldn't have picked a better time. He probably feels he needs to justify his new paycheck.

3. Expect to see a lot more of Letestu next season. With the way he has been playing, I don't see how he couldn't have a spot in the starting lineup.

4. I seriously almost had a heart attack at the very end of this game.

5. I forgot to note the other day that part of the reason I had a shitty day at work was because some asshole called me a fat pig. I'm the same size as Gionta (5'7", 175lbs.), just flabbier. :-)


Sharks-Wings

The Sharks have officially advanced to the next round. What amazes me is that Colorado seemed to give them a harder time than the Wings did. I think that is mostly due to the amazing play of Craig Anderson. He was a beast in that series, even if he is a little bit of a creeper.



I'm pumped up for tomorrow since it's the first game I will get to see live in a while. We can do it! Let's go Pens!

Pens 2, Habs 3

I work second shift at my job, so a lot of the time I have to record the Pens games and watch them when I come home. I had a really shitty day at work, came home, cracked open a beer, and was treated to 2 periods of Pens hockey. The third period was a perfect example of why you don't try to sit on a one goal lead. Even with the loss, this was probably the most entertaining game of the series so far. Other than that, Johan Franzen is a freakin beast, Flyers are still in the playoffs (boo), and Hawks win (yay!). Sorry for the incredibly abbreviated post, but I'm tired, and now that I started this blog, I feel obligated to post every night. The next one will be better, I promise. :-P

Pens 2, Habs 0

After looking like ass for the first half of the game, the Pens managed to step it up and defeat the Habs. Here are my key points to the game:

1. I was surprised to see Guerin out with an injury. I hope he comes back soon...the power play needs him.

2. Congrats to Flower on the shutout. He once again proved his ability to bounce back from a bad game. Amazing how people still question his talent. On paper his stats don't look spectacular, but he makes key saves in key games. Too bad there isn't a stat for that.

3. How quickly Canada has forgotten about the Olympics. Just as was seen in Ottawa, Habs fans booed Sid every time he touched the puck. I guess a gold medal doesn't mean shit.

4. Letestu played a pretty decent game. Someone remind me why Fedotenko still has a spot on the roster.

5. This game started to get a little snarly, but I think it was mostly out of frustration. I don't really expect it to continue.

6. Maybe the Pens read the stats on Halak's amazing record when facing 40 or more shots and decided to hold back for the first half of the game and pepper him with shots the second half. Just a theory.

7. Welcome back to the playoffs Geno!


Sharks 4, Wings 3

To be quite honest, I haven't been paying a whole lot of attention to this series. I don't like either one of these teams (the Sharks because they eliminated the Avs, and the Wings because, well, they're the Wings). I found it amusing that Holmstrom's goal had to be reviewed though. I wonder how many times that's happened in his career.


Other:
Sorry for the lack of Avs news. The Pens will always be my number one focus though. There will be some Avs info eventually, I promise.

LETS GO PENS!

Really? So soon?

Just saw this on NHL Network and had to post about it before I go to bed:



It's been done before, only much better:



So eat a dick.

I didn't want to say I told you so...

But...I told you so.

Habs 3, Pens 1

A little late with this one, sorry. I tried to watch the replay of the game on NHL Network at 4 am and I pussed out and had to record it to watch in the morning. Key notes from this game:

1.The Pens didn't lose for lack of trying. Halak was just on top of his game. To be honest, I was a little surprised that Jacques Martin didn't start Price in order to give Halak a rest. That said, the man was unstoppable.

2.Welcome back Max Talbot! He has just gotten consistently better as the playoffs have gone on. Maybe the playoffs are the only time he gets superstar treatment.



3.His name is Pascal Dupuis, not "Pasquel Dupuis". Get it right or pay the price.

4.Brian Gionta is a fast little bastard.

5.Josh Gorges and Hal Gill are a very good defensive team. Sid needs to find a way to get around these guys. He was limited to one shot on goal the whole game.

6.Pierre McGuire still creeps me out.

Canucks win...ugh.

The Canucks have taken the first game by storm with a 5-1 victory over the Hawks. I don't have much of a vested interest in this series, other than the NHL Playoff Challenge (tryin' to win that sweet bubble hockey table). It just makes me sick thinking about all of the Canucks fans gloating over tonight's victory. This might get me some hate mail (or worse, a beer bottle broken over my head or laser pointer shined into my eyes), and I know that not all Canucks fans are douchebags, but there are some of you who have just made a bad name for your team and city. From the Rink does a great job of pointing out this fact. Calm down...you are starting to rank up there with Flyers fans. And Canucks Day, even though you've only made it into the second round of the playoffs? Give me a break. Learn a lesson from the Caps fans, and please don't have the audacity to think you have already won the Cup. You may be sorely mistaken.

As if I needed another reason to hate NBC

So earlier, I went through the guide on my cable to set the Pens game to record tomorrow since I won't be able to watch the game live. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that the game will be preempted by the Cleveland Indians game. I would rather watch the game on that channel that calls itself a "sports channel", Versus. I would rather be reminded of who the commentators are, and which game of the playoffs is being played every two seconds (Anyone else watching the Pens on Versus notice this too?). Now I'm going to have to wait until 4 a.m. to watch the replay. Guess I'll take a nap during the day. Thanks NBC, you rock!

Now that I tested, we're ready to go!

Hello fellow hockey fans! I'm glad that you managed to find my blog. I'm just starting out with this, so please be patient. Thanks, and I hope you keep reading in the future! More to come soon, I promise.

Under construction

Just a test post here...